Saigon Basil

I went out to lunch with my friend Su Yeun the other day. It’s always so much fun when we get together, and she is always introducing me to something new and exotic. This time we went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon Basil, in Northglenn.

I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before Su Yeun got there, so I looked over the menu and had decided on the chicken curry lunch special. I love curry, so great. But my mind was quickly changed.

When it comes to Asian restaurants, Su Yeun is the resident expert, so I let her decide what to eat. I am never disappointed, and in fact, our lunches always become quite the adventure. This time was no different. She ordered a HUGE appetizer plate that was filled with all kinds of Vietnamese delicacies. All I know was it was #92 on the menu. Other than that, I have no idea what the actual name of it was. I knew it was going to be good though, and it definitely was.

It was a build your own kind of appetizer. It came with rice noodles, pork, chicken, soft shell crab, fish paste cakes, pork rolls, vegetables, rice paper and dipping sauce. Su Yeun also ordered an additional side of more vegetables that included carrots, daikon, cucumber, fresh basil, cilantro, and some kind of Asian lettuce. All of this was completely new to me.

Su Yeun made my first roll for me and showed me how to do it. When I made my own, well, let’s just say, I need more practice. I am definitely still a novice. First you dip the rice paper into the bowl of hot water, then add whatever you like to it and roll it up. Then dip it into the sauce and enjoy. The tricky part, however, is the rice paper becomes very sticky and hard to work with when trying to roll it. It is paper thin and hard to handle when wet.

It was all so good. I told Su Yeun that I was originally thinking of the chicken curry, and she laughed and said if we were still hungry we could order that too. OMG! There was so much food. We came nowhere close to even finishing what we had, so there was NO WAY we needed or wanted anything else. Silly me! What was I thinking???

Once again, I enjoyed a new culinary experience, but better yet, I enjoyed spending time with my friend. Su Yeun says she likes going out with me because I am a very adventurous eater and I enjoy everything. She likes introducing me to new things. We always have fun together.

Saigon Basil is located at 10665 Melody Drive, Northglenn, CO. They offer a wide variety of traditional Vietnamese foods. The #92 and chicken curry, were just two of many, many options from which to choose. If you are looking for something deliciously different Saigon Basil is definitely an excellent choice.